Canada’s Walk of Fame, in partnership with RBC, announce the return of the ‘RBC Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Prize’ valued at over $100,000

Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday, April 30

(TORONTO, ON) March 3, 2014 - Following the success of last year's inaugural program, Canada's Walk of Fame, in partnership with National Premier Partner RBC, today announced the return of the RBC Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Prize as part of Canada's Walk of Fame Emerging Artists Programs. Valued at more than $100,000, the initiative aims to support the next generation of gifted Canadian musicians. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 11:59 pm ET. The RBC Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Prize is supported by the RBC Foundation.

"We are proud to offer this program once again to Canadian musicians who otherwise might not have the means or connections to develop their careers," says Randy Lennox, Talent Chair of Canada's Walk of Fame and President and CEO of Universal Music Canada. "This mentorship prize allows us to discover aspiring Canadian musicians and provide them with the tools they need to grow - whether it's studio time with renowned artists, access to key influencers, exposure to audiences and media or funding to take their career to the next level. This is a great way to ensure that the Canadian music landscape will continue to flourish."

The inaugural installment last year saw Thornhill, Ontario's own Taylor Kurta take top honours. In all, seven talented emerging artists from across Canada received recognition. The 2014 competition will focus once again on the world of music, calling all aspiring and talented musical superstars to visit www.canadaswalkoffame.com beginning today for details on eligibility and submission requirements.

"Last year, prize-winner Taylor Kurta was afforded a tremendous experience through the mentorship prize. We recognize that these experiences are rare and invaluable for emerging musicians as they are starting their careers in the music industry," said Shari Austin, Vice-President, Corporate Citizenship & Executive Director, RBC Foundation. "We're excited to work with Canada's Walk of Fame again in 2014 to help create more opportunities for emerging musicians."

PRIZE DETAILS
Chosen by a selection committee and announced in late spring 2014, the Grand Prize winner will receive:

A cash prize of $25,000

Performance opportunities at Canada's Walk of Fame events

Twenty hours of private studio time at Metalworks Studio with an appointed producer, periodically mentored by Rik Emmett and Gil Moore from Triumph

Ten hours of studio time in The Tragically Hip's private studio, mentored by Gord Sinclair

New this year, all winners will also be invited to participate in a private Music Industry Career Development Mentorship Session with Q&A. The approximate value of the prizing in total is $100,000 CDN.

To be eligible for this year's RBC Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Prize, the candidate must be currently enrolled at an accredited school or institution within Canada. To qualify:

Candidates must submit a maximum 60-second video or audio file, of a musical or vocal performance via the entry form on canadaswalkoffame.com in one of the following formats: .MOV, .MPEG4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, WebM.

Anyone under the age of 18 must have consent by a parent or legal guardian in order to participate, should they be selected.

About Canada's Walk of Fame
Established in 1998, Canada's Walk of Fame (CWOF) aims to celebrate Canadians who have excelled in music, sport, film, television as well as the literary, visual, performing arts, science and innovation in order to engage and inspire the next generation. In 2010, CWOF expanded to include a festival featuring some of Canada's most popular and iconic performers, as well as emerging artists from across the country. The annual celebration culminates in a televised awards special that celebrates the achievements of Canada's finest stars. To-date, Canada's Walk of Fame has 151 inductees, each immortalized with their names forever cemented into the sidewalks of Toronto's Entertainment District. For a complete list of inductees along with more information on Canada's Walk of Fame visit: www.canadaswalkoffame.com.

About RBC's Commitment to Community and Sustainability
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) is Canada's largest bank and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We employ approximately 79,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 42 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and environmental leaders and is listed on the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North American Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC is one of Canada's Greenest Employers, and one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations.

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2013, we contributed more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $69 million and $35 million in sponsorships. Learn more at www.rbc.com/community-sustainability.